Yes, it is true. I'm going to have my 6th baby and I have never had a baby shower...until yesterday. I was completely blown away with the out pouring of love and support from my local friends when they surprised me! I did know that something was up...I know my husband very well and some things he did in the last month have been out of character for him.
It all started when the first chicks hatched last month and we were unprepared for them. M decided out of the blue that he wasn't going to be caught unprepared when this baby came, so I needed to make a list of things that I might need for when this baby is born. He asked when I might need these items and I was like...."When the baby is born?" No, no, when will it be a good time to go shopping for them because he really wanted to take me shopping. Him, take me shopping for baby things? I told him the end of June would be fine while I thought to myself, "Is this my husband? This is our 6th baby together. He's never ever done anything like this before. Who are you and what have you done with my real husband?" He also got on craigslist to find the perfect replacement for our little baby car seat because mine has been stuck in its base since E was a baby...and it expired about the same time (but we fixed it instead of buying a new one).
Two weeks ago, I wrote "NW Trek Slug Festival" on the calendar for June 23rd. M looked at it and said, "That is a terrible day to go to NW Trek. I can't go." I said, "Fine, I'll go by myself. You don't have to go." He took last Friday off so he could go with us...and I had a date. For what, I still wasn't sure, but I had my suspicions.
Thursday, M said, "What would you like to do Saturday? Go to the zoo? The beach?" Again, I know my husband. We don't do things like that on weekends, especially a weekend after he worked nights all week. We go on weekdays to avoid crowds. Plus, he had already said that Saturday was a terrible day to go to NW Trek. But all of a sudden it was a great day to go to the zoo? Or beach? Hmmm... I made sure I was showered and had clean laundry Friday night.
Saturday morning, M said we would be going to the beach at 1:30 for low tide. Now I had a time. But then it started to rain. I could have made it difficult for him. I could have stayed in my PJs and insisted on cleaning house. But I didn't. We decided a trip to Costco at 1:30 would be perfect. We would let D take his nap in the van on the way in, pick up enough food to survive for a month, and everything would be all good. But D needed his nap at 12:45. I just couldn't keep him awake. Normally, we would wait until he woke up because Costco trips don't have to be timed...but M was agitated by the turn of events. "Do we have to leave at 1:30 on the dot?" I asked. "I like to do things by the clock," he said. Baloney! "By the way, the Cub Master called. I left one of my Scout boxes in the lobby of the church and I need to swing by and pick it up on the way in to town." Now I had a place. M's story would have been good...but I was at the church the night before talking about Scouts with the youth pastor and there was no box in the lobby. In fact, I know where all three of his boxes are in the house. But I didn't say anything.
At 1:25, knowing that he was going to just drive me to the church and drop me off, I suggested that we leave IJ in charge of sleeping D while we were shopping. I started baby-sitting at age 10; IJ would be fine and D needs the sleep. M suggested we leave S too, which I heartily agreed to (If we were really going to Costco, there is no way I would leave them).
M drives faster than I do, so a trip that takes me 30 minutes only takes him 25...and M had 5 minutes to kill when we reached the last gas station before the church. Normally we don't stop for candy bars on our way to Costco, but M needed one. I had him fill up the gas tank while we were there so I wouldn't have to do it later in the week. "Great idea!" he said. Before he got out of the van, he asked me what kind of candy I wanted. "Suuuuurrrrrprise me!" I said. I could see he hid a smile. When we pulled in to the church parking lot, I recognized my friend's vehicles. I offered to run in and check the lobby for the box, you know, to make it easy for him. What kind of man would send his 9-months-pregnant wife in to carry a box for him?
Now it was my turn to get back at him... I stood in the lobby for a second, heard my friends around the other side, and walked back out. I went to the van and told M there was no box in the lobby. He tried to look like he was confused, but he really needed to figure out a way to send me the right direction. I said (just for him), "Maybe he meant it was in the classroom you used. Should I go look there?" Relief washed over his face as he nodded.
I went in and my friends surprised me! They had arranged a spa day, just for me! But I will get to that part in a second, I wasn't done getting my revenge on M. I told my friends I would be right back after I sent M home. I went out to the parking lot, got in my seat, acted like I was putting my seat belt on, and said, "There was no scout box there either." I wish I could describe his face at that moment. I didn't make him suffer long. I said with a big grin, "It looks like someone is playing a trick on you!" He said, "They certainly are!" because he knew then that I knew.
I am not used to being the center of attention and being pampered. My friend soaked my feet and scrubbed them with a lavender scrub. She hired a henna artist for henna tattoos-I got my belly done! She gave me a hair cut! Another friend gave me a back rub and still another french-braided my now short hair. We played some games, including the candy bar/diaper game which I am totally awesome at! I was terrible at the sock matching game. You can see my priorities lie with chocolate, not laundry. My friends shared inspirational thoughts and scripture with me for the upcoming birth. I have never, ever, felt so loved and supported by a group of women.
I promise, I will post pictures when I get some!
